Mumbai Cyber Police have registered an FIR against a point-of-sale operator accused of procuring and selling mule SIM cards to cybercriminals using forged identity documents. The suspect, identified as Prathamesh Chorat, allegedly obtained mobile connections in the names of unsuspecting people and supplied them to organised fraud networks between January 2025 and May 2026.
Ghost SIMs Allegedly Supplied to Fraud Networks
The West Region Cyber Police registered the case on July 21 after gathering information about SIM cards allegedly used in cybercrime complaints. Investigators said the accused worked as a telecom point-of-sale operator and procured SIM cards using documents belonging to people who may have originally submitted them for banking or other legitimate purposes.
Police described such fraudulently activated mobile connections as “ghost SIMs”. These SIM cards are allegedly used by cybercrime syndicates to contact victims, bypass identity checks, operate fraudulent bank accounts and conceal the identities of those behind online financial crimes.
According to the complaint, cybercriminals used the numbers to approach citizens through online platforms, lure or threaten them, and gain their confidence before transferring extorted or fraudulently obtained money into multiple bank accounts.
NCRP Data Led Police to Suspected Operator
The investigation drew on complaints registered through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and information available with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The platform contains details of mobile numbers, bank accounts and amounts linked to cyber fraud complaints reported from across the country through the 1930 helpline and other channels.
After examining crime records and data received from the coordination centre, investigators found that several SIM cards linked to fraud complaints had allegedly been sold by specific point-of-sale agents in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Police obtained information about these operators from mobile service providers and checked the relevant phone numbers against complaint records. Complaints connected to the suspected numbers were reportedly found in West Bengal, Pune and Mumbai.
Organised Network Used Field Agents
The FIR alleges that organised cybercrime syndicates appoint field agents to collect original bank accounts and SIM cards registered in other people’s names from different parts of the country. These accounts and mobile connections are then allegedly used to receive and move money obtained through share market scams, digital arrest frauds, investment schemes and similar offences.
Investigators said Chorat allegedly obtained multiple mule SIM cards in the names of different individuals and sold them to cybercriminals during the period under examination. Police are continuing to investigate the wider network, including the agents responsible for collecting identities, bank accounts and mobile connections used in organised cyber fraud.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
